Nearly There

I gaze into what appears to be a repetition of dots and patterned paper.

"Stare at one place," my friend says.

I pick a dot near the middle.

"Now stare until your eyes go fuzzy but keep looking."

I stand and stare.  I see nothing but patterned paper.  I hear a woman exclaim next to me that she sees it.  I stare harder unsure of what to expect.  How can there be a picture hidden in all this?  I've heard people describe it but I don't understand. My eyes get fuzzy.  I feel the lurch of expectation.

"Mom, can we go now?" my daughter asks.

"Hang on," I say.  But the distraction makes me lose my place and now everything is clear again.  Rats, I was nearly there.  I relocate my place in the middle of the picture and explain to my younglings that Mommy HAS to do this before we can leave.  They groan at my determination.

I stare. Ignoring the voices and movement around me, I stand for an eternity. My feet grow tired and my eyes are watering mascara down my face.  I begin to lose interest, and that's when it happens.  

A world opens up like I've slipped inside and all around me stand animals: tigers, elephants, and giraffes!  I scream and keep staring, afraid my motion will take it all away.  But I'm in now.  And I find to my delight that not only can I see the 3-D in this picture, but I quickly find the hidden pictures inside frames lined along the wall.  It's as if I've been initiated into a secret society and can read all the codes now.

Right now my life is like that day.  I'm staring into the creative picture. I'm ignoring the voices of criticism and doubt.  Process is happening, my focus is changing; I feel a new world about to open up at any moment.  I'm waiting and staring.  I'm nearly there.